Trolley-catcher.



JAIVIES E. RICKEITS, OF LONGBEACI'I, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO LOS ANGELES TROL- LEY CATGHER COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TROLLEY-CATCI-IEB.

974,920. Specification of Letters Yatent.

Iatented Nov. 8, 1910.

Application filed September 15, 1909. Serial No. 517,921.

To all whom 'it may concern: during the period immediately after catch- Be it known that I, JAMES R. Rioirnfrrs, ing the trolley, during which period the suda citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at denly arrested trolley vibrates up and 'down Longbeach, in the county of Los Angeles imparting a succession of jerks to the rope and State of California, have invented a which would result in releasing the do new and useful Trolley-Catcher, of which were it not that some means were employe the following is a specification. for preventing it. The particular means This invention relates to trolley catchers, which I employ in the present invention for and the object of the invention is to provide this purpose consists of a curved track ara simple and inexpensive device which may ranged eccentrically to the aXis of rotation be readily attached to or detached from a of a dog and each dog being so constructed trolley car, to which device the trolley rope as to engage a curved track when the do is may be connected, the device being designe prevented from dropping by the swiftly to automatically arrest the trolley from uprunning reel at the time the trolley jumps ward movement when it jumps rom the from the wire, the curved track acting to wire, and acting automatically to take up positively guide the dog engaged thereby the slack in the rope or pay out the rope as into engagement with the locking abutment, the trolley gradually moves up or down and the track serves to hold the dog in exowing to the varying height of the trolley tended position, even should the reel take a wire as the car moves along. But when the reverse movement, as during the vibratory trolley jumps from the wire the device acts action referred to, which occurs upon the to automatically hold the trolley rope sudden arresting of the trolley. against outward-movement so that the trol- Another object of the present invention is ley .is held from upward movement when 0E to cushion the engagement of the locking the wire, which prevents the trolley from dog with the abutment. rising but a short distance so that when the Referring to the drawings z-eFigure 1 is first span wire is struck the pole glances a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a 80 under the span wi e and is thereby thrown -cross section on line ga Fig. 1. Fig. 3 down and the trolley rope automatically is a section on line w3-w3 Fig. 2, showing reeled in and the pole is caught again in this the parts in position with a dog having conlower position and lprevented from rising tacted with the abutment and arrested the high enough to strike the span wires which trolley. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, 85 follow the first span wire. Thus the pole showing the parts just previous to the enstrikes only the first span wire and strikes gagement of the dog with the abutment. that at an easy angle which prevents dam 1 designates a reel on which is wound the age. j trolley rope 2, the reel being mounted to In carrying out my invention, I employ a rotate on a vshaft 3, which is supported in a spring operated reel, upon which the trolley casing 11. A spring 5 is secured at one end rope is wound, and a locking mechanism to a cylindrical cage 8 and at the other end operating by gravity to prevent rotation of to a shaft 3, placing the reel under a con` the reel whenever it is given a sudden rotastant tension tending to rotate the reel and tion by the trolley jumping from the wire. wind up the rope 2. A disk 6 is secured at 95 I accomplish this automatic locking by one end of the reel by a nut 7 and acts as a means of a plurality of dogs arranged to flange to retain the rope 2 and to also house slide by gravity radially, or substantially the spring 5. The spring 5 is retained in a radially, of the reel, any one of which dogs c lindrical cage 8 which is caused to revolve is adapted to strike against an abutment with the reel 1 by a notched lug 9 which 100 when the reel operates at a Vspeed so fast engages a rib 10 on the inside of the reel. that the dog does not have time to drop, and j The reel 1 is provided with four radially to thereby positively lock the reel against slidalole bolts or dogs 11, each dog 11 having further rotation, and the most important a pin 12 at its inner end to prevent it from object of the present invention is to provide moving too far outwardly, and itsouter end for holding 'said dog in locking position having a groove 13 which is adapted to engage with a curved track formed of a Wire faster than the dog can drop by gravity, 14 curved eccentrically to the shaft 3 and and means for preventing retraction of a extending' approximately through a quarter after it has enOaged an abutment of a circle, one end of the cated at the upper side of other end of t e Wire 16 the side of the device.

is a lug cast integrally With the case 4, and its end is protected which is secured in Wire l5 being lothe device, and the being located near dogs can drop by gravity, a track extending toward said abutment, said dogs being adapted to engage said track and tained there the reel moves faster than the dogs can drop by gravity.

abuty any of said moves faster than a dog can drop by gravit an eccentrically curved Wire leading toward said abutment, each of the trolsaid dogs having a groove near its outer end of the reel is so slow that which is adapted to engage With said Wire serves to shown in During the normal operation of ley, the rotation t e dogs 11, as they approach the top, drop When a dog does not drop by gravity quickly byv gravity, but when the reel takes a faster enough to escape the Wire. movement, caused by the trolley jumpino reel, a plurality of dogs slidable subfrom t e Wire one of the dogs, as it nears stantially radial thereof, a stationary abut-- e top, Wil be moved bodily so fast that it 1 ment adapted to be engaged by any of said oes not have time to drop radially by 0i av dogs when the reel moves faster than a do ity and its groove 1 Will ride onto the can iop by gravity, an ecoentrically curved around by the reel and strike against the inner end of the lever 20, thereby depressing' the lever 20 until it strikes the cap 18, Wheresaid dogs having a end which is adapted to upon furthei movement' of the reel is aie quickly enough to escape the wire and cushrested, andthe rope 2 being prevented from ioning means in front of said abutment fuit er outward movement catches the ti oladapted to be struck by a dog.

o. A reel, a plurality of dogs slidable substantially radial thereof, a stationary abutment adapted to be engaged by any of said to t e parts is dogs When the than Va dog provided for the purpose of preventing the can drop by gravity, an eccentrically curved casting 17 from chipping' o or breaking otll Wiie leading toward said abutment, each of as it would be apt to do under the sudden said dogs havin a Groove near its outer end which is lessened by theinterposipact, oivever, Wire When a do@ does not y gravit tion of the cushion lever 20. quickly enough to escape the Wire, cushion- It Will be observed that when the trolley ing' means in front of said abutment adapted has thus been caught, that during the sucto' be struck by a dog, and a steel cap ovei ceeding vibratory action, during which time the reel vibrates back and forth a short dis- 11 is positively heldin eX- said abutment preventing the same from chipping off.

reel, a stationary abutment, a plurality of dogs slidable on said reel and adapted to e arrested by said abutment when the reel moves faster than th drop by gravity, a lever pivoted in front of said abutment, the end of said jectiiig through the casing, bearing against the exposed lever.

7. In combination, a reel adapted to have the tro each dog tl drop by gravity as it passes through the upper portion of its orbital cycle, a stationary abutment adapted to be engaged by said dog When the reel moves far enough to escape the cap 18. Thus a very important advantage is l attained, as the trolley, caught, is securely held until it has been restored 'to the Wire by the conductor.

What I claim is 1. A reel, a plurality of dogs slidable substantially radially of the reel, adapted to prins end of said for trolley ropes n a pivoted arm mountedfon l casing, aspring for holding said arm out of engagement With said stop, and ral-lO dial bolts slidable in said reel and adapted said grooves when the bolts have been moved to engage said arm when moved outwardly outwardly by gravity and positively holding by gravity. said bolts in position to engage said stop.

8. n combination, a reel for trolley ropes ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set i5 adapted to have the trolley rope wound my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 7th thereon, a shaft journaledfin said reel, a easday of September 1909.

ing inclosing a portion o saic reel, a stop p on said easing, a series of radial bolts slid- JAMES R RCKETTS' able in said reel and having a groove near In presence of their outer end, and a curved track on said Gr. T. HAGKLEY,

casing, eccentric to said reel, for engaging FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

